countenance
UK/ˈkaʊn.tə.nəns/
More pronunciations (1)Fewer pronunciations
Australia[kæũ̯n.tɪ̆.nəns]
countenance noun: appearance, especially the features and expression of the face.
Noun
countenance (countable and uncountable, plural countenances)
- Appearance, especially the features and expression of the face.
- How Cownterfet Cowntenaunce of the new get / With Crafty Conueyauance dothe smater and flater, / And Cloked Collucyoun is brought in to clater / With Courtely Abusyoun; […]1523, John Skelton, “A Ryght Delectable Tratyse vpon a Goodly Garlande or Chapelet of Laurell, […]”, in Alexander Dyce, editor, The Poetical Works of John Skelton: […], volume I, London: Thomas Rodd...
- But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 4:5
- Favour; support; encouragement.
- Thou hast made him[…]glad with thy countenance.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 21:6
- This is the Magiſtrate's peculiar Province, to give Countenance to Piety and Virtue, and to rebuke Vice and Prophaneneſs; […]1706 September 18 (date delivered; Gregorian calendar), Francis Atterbury, “A Sermon Preach’d in the Guild-Hall Chapel, London, Sept. 28. 1706. Being the Day of the Election of the Right Honourable...
- Superficial appearance; show; pretense.
- The election being done, he made countenance of great discontent thereat.a. 1569 (date written), Roger Ascham, edited by Margaret Ascham, The Scholemaster: Or Plaine and Perfite Way of Teaching Children, to Vnderstand, Write, and Speake, the Latin Tong, […], London: […]...
- Calm facial expression, composure, self-control.
Verb
countenance (third-person singular simple present countenances, present participle countenancing, simple past and past participle countenanced)
countenance meaning in Tamil, Marathi, Urdu and Bengali
countenance in Tamil
- முகக் குறிப்பாடு, முகத்தோற்றம், முகம், முகபாவம், முகஅமைதி, விருப்பு வெறுப்புக் குறிப்பு நிலை
countenance in Marathi
- countenance, expression
- चेहरा cehrā
countenance in Urdu
- countenance
- مکھڑا mukhṛā
- countenance, obligingness
- توجہ tavajju
countenance in Bengali
- মুখশ্রী, মুখের অভিব্যক্তি, মানসিক অবস্থার বহিঃপ্রকাশ
More languagesFewer languages
- countenance in Telugu
- ముఖము mukhamu
- countenance in Malayalam
- മുഖം, അനുകൂലം, മുഖഭാവം, പെരുമാറ്റം
- countenance in Kannada
- ಮೋರೆ, ಮೋರೆಯ ನುಡಿತ, ಒಪ್ಪಿಗೆ, ಬೆಂಬಲ
- countenance in Punjabi
- ਰੂਪ rūp, روپ rūp
- countenance in Arabic
- مَلَامِح malāmiḥ
Examples of countenance in a sentence
- It was as if the countenance were for a brief while allowed to wear the likeness of the peaceful and spiritual world whither the soul had departed.1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XXXI, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry...
- But Richmond, his grandfather's darling, after one thoughtful glance cast under his lashes at that uncompromising countenance appeared to lose himself in his own reflections.1959, Georgette Heyer, chapter 1, in The Unknown Ajax, London; Melbourne, Vic.: William Heinemann, →OCLC:
- However, the poor old lady is in great distress; she and her grandaughter are coming up to London, and I wish to give them all possible countenance and assistance.1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “Prudence in Politics”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry...
- All feared and obeyed him; to use his roads we must have his countenance.1922 (date written; published 1926), T[homas] E[dward] Lawrence, “(please specify the page)”, in Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph, Garden...
Synonyms of countenance
14 more synonymsFewer synonyms
Forms of countenance
| Noun | |
|---|---|
| plural | countenances |
| alternative form | countenaunce |
| Verb | |
| third-person singular present | countenances |
| present participle | countenancing |
| past participle | countenanced |
| past | countenanced |
Origin of countenance
From Middle English contenaunce, countenaunce, from Anglo-Norman countenance and Old French contenance, from the present participle of contenir, or from Late Latin continentia, and therefore a doublet of continence.
Words formed from countenance
Phrases with countenance
Questions about countenance
- What does countenance mean?
- Countenance means appearance, especially the features and expression of the face.
- What is countenance in Tamil?
- Countenance in Tamil is முகக் குறிப்பாடு, முகத்தோற்றம், முகம். See Countenance meaning in Tamil.
- How do you use countenance in a sentence?
- It was as if the countenance were for a brief while allowed to wear the likeness of the peaceful and spiritual world whither the soul had departed.
- What part of speech is countenance?
- Countenance can be a noun or a verb.
- How do you pronounce countenance?
- Countenance is pronounced /ˈkaʊn.tə.nəns/ (UK).
- What is the plural of countenance?
- The plural of countenance is countenances.
Words near countenance in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: countenance (page history and authors); countenance (Tamil Wiktionary) (page history and authors); चेहरा (Marathi) (page history and authors); توجہ (Urdu) (page history and authors); countenance (Bengali Wiktionary) (page history and authors); ముఖము (Telugu) (page history and authors); countenance (Malayalam Wiktionary) (page history and authors); countenance (Kannada Wiktionary) (page history and authors); روپ (Punjabi) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: en-us-countenance.ogg, en-au-countenance.ogg.
Cite this entry: “countenance.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/countenance. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.